Jim Casey Youth Opportunities

CSSP provides technical assistance and support to the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, a national foundation that seeks to increase opportunities for youth aging out of foster care and help them make successful transitions to adulthood.

CSSP has worked with the Initiative to:

Develop a technical-assistance framework tailored to thelocal priorities and needs of the demonstration sites.

Synthesize lessons learned about the start-up and implementation of the initiative, based on documentation review, the experiences and insights of initiative leadership and staff, and the knowledge and reflections of key site leaders.

Prepare a toolkitto help new sites and public agencies implement the initiative’s approach and strategies. The toolkit includes guidance to help states and communities:

Create opportunities for youth and young adults transitioning from foster care

Engage youth and young adults in all facets of the initiative

Develop effective partnerships and funding strategies

Use research and data to guide planning, implementation and evaluation

Build public will and advocate for policies that support successful transitions from foster care

Help plan and conduct national conferences to assist states and communities implement the initiative’s core strategies. These national events bring together grantees, state agency partners, young adults, advocates and other key stakeholders and have included: a national symposium, Improving Outcomes for Youth in Transition: A Vision for the Next Decade,to raise awareness of how young are people faring after leaving foster care.